Geriatrics

Welcome to Geriatrics Services at Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse.

As one of the few geriatric medicine offerings in the Midwest, and the only one in the tri-state region, we are honored to extend our expertise to the La Crosse area's elderly population and their primary health care providers.

Specializing in helping older adults live healthy, productive lives

Whether you or a loved one is elderly and dealing with complex health care needs, dementia, frailty, or simply having trouble with a new transition of life, you can turn to our Geriatrics team to provide you with the help you need. Our purpose is to help improve an elderly patient's function, independence, well being, comfort and quality of life. In Geriatrics, we assist our patients with achieving their objectives as they age. If that's not possible, we can help patients and their families develop new goals that can be achieved in a dignified and respectful manner.

Dedicated to serving your needs

Our Geriatrics team is made up of highly trained professionals and other related staff. As part of Mayo Clinic Health System, we have the ability to utilize the expertise and resources at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Geriatrics Services

We offer a broad range of comprehensive geriatric assessments. With the elderly population, there is a strong and complex interdependency of multiple medical, nutritional, psychological, spiritual and social issues that are important in overall health and care of the patients.

Some of the patients we see include those with:

• Chronic, many times incurable, health needs
• Concerns about falls
• Increased frailty
• Nutrition/weight loss concerns
• Pain
• Dementia
• Depression
• Decline in functioning
• Driving challenges
• Medication issues
• Concerns about major life transitions including entering assisted living or nursing homes

Our Geriatrics team tailors a plan of care to meet your needs from diagnosis to end-of-life issues.

Educational Services and Research

The Department of Geriatrics offers valuable community and professional educational opportunities that can assist you or a loved one with the transitions of aging.

We offer several community programs including:

• Successful Aging program — monthly educational sessions give you the opportunity to socialize and learn something new. From cooking for one or two to Alzheimer's updates, the topics are designed with you in mind.
• Dementia Education and Support Groups — a program that offers family education sessions, individual consultations, written material, and community education programs. Along with the Alzheimer's Association we offer three different support groups including Early Memory Loss Discussion/Support Group, a Memory Loss Activity/Support Group and a Family Support Group. Call 608-392-9505 for more information.

Professional programs offered include:

• Symposium on Geriatric Health — an annual, informative symposium designed especially for health care professionals who work with the elderly. It covers the many new and exciting advances in the field of Geriatrics.
• Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) — a project of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute (WAI) which is an academic center within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The WAI and Mayo Clinic Health System are currently recruiting for WRAP. WRAP supports genetic, epidemiologic and clinical studies designed to identify those factors that may delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Related Programs:

• Dementia Care
• Hospice